Brachytherapy is designed to kill any cancer cells that might still remain following a lumpectomy, which is a necessary step to help prevent breast cancer from recurring. There are two different types of brachytherapy that doctors trained in this procedure can perform, depending on the characteristics of the tumor that was removed. One type is called the Tube and Button method, which consists of tiny doses of radiation delivered through a series of tubes that are wound through and around the tumor site where the breast cancer was located before the lumpectomy. Each of these tubes delivers its own separate radiation source to the cancer site, originating in a radiation treatment machine called an afterloader.
The other type of brachytherapy is called the Balloon Catheter method. In this procedure, a thin catheter tube is inserted into the cavity left behind by the now-removed breast cancer tumor, with a soft balloon attached to the end of the tube that is inside the body. The afterloader can then deliver its radiation sources to the center of the balloon, where it can do its work against any lingering cancerous cells. This method of brachytherapy is generally used when the cancerous tumor was discovered at a very early stage, and was quite small in size at the time of removal.
Who are Candidates for Brachytherapy?
Unfortunately, the brachytherapy option is not available to all lumpectomy recipients. In order to be a candidate for this procedure, a woman must fit into one of these three categories:
- Stage I or Stage II breast cancer, with a tumor size of three centimeters of less and no more than four lymph nodes showing signs of cancer
- Noninvasive, non-metastasized advanced breast cancer, with no prior radiation treatment
- Recurrent breast cancer that has moved into the chest wall
In addition to these requirements, women who receive brachytherapy must be at least 45 years of age, or be postmenopausal if younger, and their breast cancer type must be infiltrating ductal carcinoma. While the number of women who qualify for brachytherapy is obviously limited based on these qualifications, that number is far from insignificant, as 71,000 out of the more than 200,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year would be eligible to receive this treatment.
Advantages of Brachytherapy
As previously mentioned, brachytherapy causes less damage to surrounding tissue than does external beam radiation. Because its radiation doses are being delivered exclusively, without diffusion, to the site where any remaining cancer cells might be located, the possibility of recurrence is reduced compared to external beam. This kind of radiation therapy does not interfere with other treatments like chemotherapy or hormone therapy in any way, so it can be used as part of a thorough treatment plan. Maybe the biggest advantage of brachytherapy is the time and convenience factor. While traditional radiation therapy requires seven weeks of treatments, brachytherapy can be completed in just one week on an outpatient basis.
The Unknown Procedure
For many women with breast cancer, lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy provides an option that is capable of delivering superior results. Because brachytherapy is not as familiar to either breast cancer patients or medical professionals, the number of providers who are trained and experienced enough to perform the procedure is currently somewhat limited. It can only be hoped this situation will change over time, and that more women who qualify for brachytherapy will have the chance to take advantage of this sophisticated and highly effective breast cancer treatment.
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